Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

37 Reviews

From: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2007

Cumin and chili powder season a filling of turkey sausage, tomatoes, black beans and Swiss cheese for creamy acorn squash. Serve this stuffed squash with warmed corn tortillas for wrapping up bites of all the tasty ingredients.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, beans, salt and hot sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, 10 to 12 minutes.

When the squash are tender, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees . Fill the squash halves with the turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Place on the baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Tip: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (Our recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

Easy cleanup: Recipes that require cooking spray can leave behind a sticky residue that can be hard to clean. To save time and keep your baking sheet looking fresh, line it with a layer of foil before you apply the cooking spray.

Reviews 37

This was my first time making stuffed squash, it was great! I will definitely make it again

April 13, 2015

By: bradfieldsmith

Always a hit, no matter how I change it up
The first several times I prepared this dish exactly according to the recipe, and it came out great. The only change I made was to roast one squash, divide the stuffing into three meal-size portions for my husband and me, and stuff with one portion and freeze the other two. Which works just great, if you can resist taking the stuffing for lunch the next day. I like to serve the squash with corn tortillas and southwestern-style slaw or a mixed green salad.
I used to get irritated with people who rated a recipe high or low, then said they'd made substitutions for almost every ingredient. They didn't really make the recipe, so how could they give it an honest review? Well, I'm one of those people now. I decided to try a vegetarian version, so I substituted 2 cups frozen corn kernels for the sausage (you have to increase the seasoning if you do this). The corn is quicker, too--just saute the aromatics in a little canola oil and dump in the corn and the rest of the stuffing ingredients. I gave up the expensive cherry tomatoes and now use one 14.5 ounce can of no-salt-added petite diced tomatoes for convenience. I've substituted Monterey Jack and cheddar for the Swiss cheese, and cheddar is better.
We like this recipe more every time we have it, regardless of changes.
Pros: Easy, delicious, versatile
Cons: None!

January 31, 2014

By: EatingWell User

Yummy!
Had some of the filling left over and plan on using it tomorrow morning in my eggs as one of the other reviewers suggested.
Pros: Easy to make and quick.
Cons: None

January 21, 2014

By: wcruns

Yummy!
I make this frequently. It's so easy to make, and absolutely delicious. I've made it for several people and everyone loves it! Sometimes I just use one squash, then use the leftover stuffing the next morning in eggs. Yummy!!!
Pros: Easy to make

November 08, 2013

By: EatingWell User

spicey squash recipe
This recipe is delicious as is. Just follow the recipe and make no changes. I look forward to fall to make this dish.
Pros: tasty, filling, easy

August 17, 2013

By: EatingWell User

I really liked this dish - I used ground beef instead of turkey sausage and added corn. However, I made everything the day before, then tried to reheat it in the oven. It took FOREVER even after turning the heat up and it was still cold at the bottom. So I wouldn't recommend reheating it altogether in this way. I ended up smearing the squash on corn tortillas and spooning the meat mixture on top to make tacos. It was amazing.

November 11, 2012

By: EatingWell User

New Favorite Acorn Squash Recipe!
This is a delicious recipe! My entire family enjoyed it! I made it with plain ground turkey and a dash of liquid smoke and I think it would be great with any kind of ground meat or sausage you have on hand. Next time I will try it with ground beef. I also substituted canned diced tomatoes and cheddar cheese. I'm not a huge squash fan but this recipe will have me looking forward to squash season from now on! YUM!
Pros: Delicious, Nutritious, Simple, Pretty
Cons: Turkey sausage is not a staple in our house.

October 16, 2012

By: Paula Cross

Awesome recipe that my family loves
I generally follow the recipe, although I add a bit more spice to it because I use my homemade spicy turkey breakfast sausage meat instead of plain ground turkey. I also double the meat (which we use as chili the next day with some cooked macaroni noodles. I also like to add a bit of fresh corn to the vegetables to add a bit more color.
Pros: really tastes delicious
Cons: a little bit of work to make this one

October 15, 2012

By: EatingWell User

Substitutions and meal are easy and delicious
This was OUTSTANDING. To quote my husband this meal is filling and tastes like it is really bad for. In other words, he loved it.
Substitutions: I don't like to use sausage, so I got 1 lb 95% fat free ground turkey and added hot and spicy taco flavoring to it. I used 6 oz for the recipe and put the rest away. I still added all the spices EXCEPT the hot sauce.
I also added chopped black olives with jalapenos. I added guac and spicy salsa (both store bought) for serving. We will definitely be making this again
Pros: fast, inexpensive, delicious, gluten-free
Cons: acorn squash are hard to cut in half when raw